Fred Tenney played for three teams in the single year that the Union Association existed. Oddly enough, he was an outfielder and first baseman for his first team, the 1884 Washington Nationals, but then became a pitcher for the other two teams.

With the Nationals, he hit .235 on team whose average was .237. When he came to the 1884 Boston Reds, his pitching record was 3-1. Finally, with the 1884 Wilmington Quicksteps, he pitched only one game, losing it (although his 1.13 ERA for the Quicksteps was close to the best on the team).